Omaha daily bee., 1887-10-28

gave him reason. There is nothlng In
the minds of the mass Of Russians ex-
cept that which is carried by the senses
Of sight and hearing. They do not
reason. In st. Petersburg there are
thousands of drosky (carriage) drivers,
and am told that not one in twenty
can read the signs along the streets,
and not two in FIVE hundred can read q
book or newspaper. And yet these men
have had, for Russia, extraordinary OPP
portunities. What, then, must be
the condition of the people in the coun-
try-those who have not had contact
with the worldp
The proportion of these ignorant pco-
pie to the intelligent and educated is
population in Russia about 6O,OOO,OO
were either among the serfs freed by
Alexander II. quarter of n century
ago or are the offspring OF those white
slaves. They do not know what a
school Is and have been taught more
abject manners than our black folks. l
have never encountered so much obse-
| quiousness anywhere. Not only do the
working people perpetrate upon the
visitor all sorts of salaams, but mer-
chants and people in the upper classes
have the infection and bow and blink
| till u white freeman must blush.
have not improved; they have
not the power to lift themselves
up, but there is no excuse for the super
stitions and ignorance among the peo-
pie in commerce, etc. Although tho
proclamation of the lately assassinated
czar, the father Of the present czar,
freed the slaves, it gave them nothing
more than liberty, UP to that time the
| peasants were not allowed to leave the
farms, which were owned by the no.
bility. They were slaves in this sense,
having located on farms they must al
ways be farmers. That was u law es-
tablished for the landlords as long ago
as history runs in the mind of man here.
The emancipation gave the slaves free
dom, but nothing more, and in their
| helpleSSness they remain where they
were found, they are serfs, the peasan-
try, the class
| THE PRESENT CZAR
is trying to court. But in his en-
deavOrs to please the peasantry and
| nobility he is not making a glowing sue
| cess.
expected to find the Russians q
very opposite. Fierceness must be ac-
companied by degree of mental sub
stance. The average Russian one meets
on the streets or in the country is of
medium size. He is of light yellow tan
color, from exposure to weather and ex-
istence upon coarse food. Generally he
wears full beard. and four times out
of five it is light in color and very filthy,
His hair is about two inches thick, is
cut square around his head, extending
about one-third up his neck, us if the
work was done with meat AK or cir
cular saw, and besides being combed
| 1Nxyo in front is c1inhtlv ,,a ,t aH in th a
middle, as though he were not sure
whether he is a male or female. He in
variably wears high topped boots, and
his pantaloons are tucked into the
boot tops. The boot tops have a
series of finely artistic wrinkles mid
| way, and are generally we'll oiled. This
is the only tasteful Indication in the
dress. The coat of p easant is cross
between a robe, frock and blouse. 1t
comes almost to the knees, is single
breasted, and has q wide belt. If the
subject is driver he wears a robe and
belt, and the garment is of blue cloth
and comes to the ground. The head
wear is broad-topped cap with low
crown.
The Russian is as filthy as he is ignor-
ant and unsightly. Only three or four
of the principal hotels have any pre-
paratiOns for bathing, and these are ex-
tremely meagre. The Russian bath in
Russia is a myth. paid three roubles
for place to take very ordinary bath
in the principal hotel to-day. Not one
of the palaces in five have baths, and as
the waters OF the Neva are too cold for
shed their accumulated filth like fish
scales. And since dried fish, oil and
cured vegetables form the staple diet
for the majority OF the people, and the
Neva, which furnishes the water supply
can be detected miles distant by the nos
trils, it is only the cold atmosphere that
prevents long mortuary lists.
Later shall write in extenso of the
superstitions of Russians, for they ore
more extensive and ridiculous than
those found in any other country. II
was probably wise step when the Gar
assumed control of the church and es-
ter, for the prating one sees and hears
even now about false prophets would
undoubtedly lead the masses to desperat
things in the name of the church.
THE CHURCH OF RUSSIA
is the Greek Catholic, and be it said to
the credit of Alexander Ill. it is well
controlled. But the people are extrem.
lists, and commit many sins under the
shield of the church. My attention was
| attracted, Wnen saw u Snrlne dU every
forty PAGES, to the seals on the collection
or contribution boxes. None of these
can be opened without breaking seal
This, am told, is arranged so as tC
trace the direction the money takes
when deposited in the boxes. So many
! officers of the church have keys that
robberies within the church are com
mon. Robbery, however, is very com
mon in all Russia. Looking out on 9
street here one sees hundreds and hun
dreds of men, women and children walk
ing or driving with barred heads anG
making crosses at every shrine. The
drivers are continually at it. Only the
wicked gendarme deigns to pass without
notice. The steps leading to the hun
dreds of churches are covered with peo
pie of all grades on their knees, making
crosses and humping their foreheads on
the stones or pavements. Fealty to the
church and oral demonstration of il
seems to be the principal avocatiOn
The candles at the shrines are kept
burning continually, at the expense o.
the empire, and almost every Other
store or shop has "a large display of gilt
tering brass and paint in the form o
shrines. And yet, amid all this, there
| il moro crime here and more ignorance